Computers have become highly integrated in the workforce, in the home, in mobile devices, and many other places. Computers can process massive amounts of information quickly and efficiently. Software applications designed to run on computer systems allow users to perform a wide variety of functions including business applications, schoolwork, entertainment and more. Software applications are often designed to perform specific tasks, such as word processor applications for drafting documents, or email programs for sending, receiving and organizing email.
Some software applications are designed for deployment and processing on the cloud. Such applications are often referred to as distributed applications. These distributed applications are configured to run on many different physical and/or virtual computer systems. As such, many different points of failure (both on the hardware side and on the software side) are introduced.